Grounded
by Exilo
Summary: Continuation of "The Knight and the Princess" and "Zenith". Knight has to stroll over to town to fetch some Poffins! Yummy, yummy poffins. Birthday gift for PrettyChief. One-shot. R&R please.


**A birthday gift for PrettyChief. Stay wonderful, snuggles.**

_Grounded_

Marowaks hated the rain. It went beyond a Ground Pokémon's reluctance to touch anything wet, and the fear of Water based attacks. Water was simply so against their nature. It was slushy while they were firm. It was hugging and touchy while Marowaks were withdrawn and indifferent. Of course, Ninetales didn't like the rain either. And paper covered rock, as it always did. So the day it rained, it was Knight who had to trounce out of the nice warm cave and head into the town to get some Poffins for Rook, who had broken his wing. It was probably better for Princess to stay behind. She could cuddle up with Rook and keep him warm, and if the fire somehow went out, she would be right there to make another.

It was a long, boring, wet walk. First Knight had to walk through the heavy brush and trees to reach the main path. That wasn't actually that bad. The trees were thick enough that the rain didn't get through, save the occasional drips and drops. But when he got out of the trees and onto the road, the water had nothing to stop it. Knight stomped sourly towards the town, gripping his bone tight in a bit of tolerance. One Raticate who came into his path and picked a fight was abruptly silenced with a heavy bonk on the crown, and it was sent dizzily sprinting into the safety of the woods.

As fate would have it, just as Knight reached the town, the clouds parted and the sun came out. He grumbled under his breath, but at least the sun felt good in his bones as he headed for the sweet shop.

_I'm getting soft,_ Knight mused as he passed the humans. With the rain stopped, they came out of their houses and buildings and went about their business. And none stopped him. It was somehow annoying. They didn't view him has a wild Pokémon. He must just be running an errand for his master, so they left him alone. He looked domesticated to them, whereas, years ago, they never would make that mistake. Something in the way he walked, his swagger, it wasn't threatening to them. There was a time when he would only eat wild berries, and never set foot within fifty paces of a human town. There was a time when he would have beaten that Raticate's skull in until brains dripped out of his ears instead of a little bonk on the head. Knight sighed.

He remembered that incident with the humans in black, and smiled under his mask. Maybe he wasn't getting soft. He had just mellowed out.

_Papa's Poffins_ was a sweet shop that somehow managed to stay afloat in this bustling metropolis, and despite the Department Store's claims of selling far superior treats, there must have been something about the mom and pop image that Papa was so careful to cultivate. Granted, there was no Mama, and that was a subject of gossip in the town. Theories ranged from the innocent to the macabre, and some people questioned just what the secret ingredient in the Poffins was.

Papa was a man who rivaled a Snorlax in dimensions. He was tall and fat, with a big red face and jolly demeanor, and hair that did give him a passing resemblance to a Snorlax's cat ears. He had a birthmark that encompassed his nose and made it purple and swollen all the time. This was his most noticeable trait by far, and one that had, for whatever reason, become one most associated with him. Even in the sign above his store, the 'o' in Poffins was replaced by a caricature of his nose.

Papa and Princess had some sort of relationship. Knight didn't understand what it was, and he had never asked Princess. But when they had first come to this town, Princess visited the ship during its opening hours before there were people there. Somehow, Papa recognized Princess, despite her evolution, and took her into his arms and hugged her tightly. The large jolly man wept about how he had read about Jenna. Princess comforted him with soft licks under the chin.

"Hey there Bones. What? Queeny didn't want to get her fur wet or something?" He gave his trademark jolly chuckle. Knight gave a nod of the head. Papa squatted down and gave Knight a knock on the skull. It was something Knight did not like, but something that Papa always did, so Knight tolerated it. The jolly man disappeared into the back of the shop, and came out a moment later with a round tin, wrapped with a bow tie and carrying any number of tasty Poffins. "This is the 'Wild Berry' Mix. I think you guys will like some of the flavors. Send Queeny my love, will ya little guy?" Knight was handed the box.

"Whack," Knight said, and headed out the backdoor. The rain had broken the humidity, and now the sun was out, and it was rather pleasant to walk. And because Knight was carrying a package, now he really looked like a Pokémon who was just running an errand for his master. He was tempted to hit one of the humans and run, just to remember what it was like to be a stray and chased, but no. Rook deserved a nice treat. That came first.

He passed the power plant at the edge of town again, but this time he found his way blocked. There was an extremely large Electivire standing in the middle of the road. Knight began walking a wide arc around the electric Pokémon, his main thought being on the Poffins. He knew how irritable such Pokémon could be, and besides, he didn't have much desire to fight. But he soon noticed that the Electivire's attention was solely on a little Mightyena he had cornered. The Electivire was occupying himself with a fight, though by how the Mightyena was panting and whining, it didn't seem to be much of a fair fight. And even when the Mightyena tried to flee, the Electivire caught up and landed a Thunder Punch square in the back that put her on the ground. The Electivire mocked and laughed at the mutt. When the Electivire picked up a smoking pipe that the Mightyena had been carrying, the Mightyena snarled and dove. For a moment, Knight hoped that the tides of the battle might be changing. But the Electivire caught her with a Thunderbolt that sent her to the ground, paralyzed. The Electivire, now bored with the pipe, dropped it to the ground. He lifted his foot, ready to stomp down on the trinket and grind it under heel, when a bone flung through the air and caught the Electivire in the jaw. He stumbled back, growling and glaring at the bone and following it back to its thrower.

The Electivire snarled and charged, and sent a wave of lightning at the Marowak, who grounded both feet and lifted his bone. He tensed as the lightning surged through him. He gritted his teeth, exhaling and tensing and shivering at the surge of raw power. But soon enough it passed and he gave a deep breath. The Electivire, not to be deterred, charged forward, fist glowing with power. The Marowak readied his bone like a baseball bat, and when the time came, stepped to his side. He swung his bone with all his might, the head hitting the Electivire between the legs. The Electivire screamed out, falling to his knees. Knight lifted the bone over his head and swung down, across the Electivire's head. The Electivire collapsed and lay still. When his hand twitched, Knight swung again, again hitting the back of the Electivire's skull. A third time was needed, he decided, and only after the third did a puddle of drool and blood spread out from beneath his mouth.

Knight cracked his back and his shoulders. He looked to the Mightyena. "You alright?"

The Mightyena gave a low growl, which in turn made Knight scowl. "You're welcome for saving your furry ass, by the way."

"I didn't ask for help," the Mightyena scowled. She looked back at the rear left leg, and the painful pop it gave when she moved it. "But...I guess thank you. Not that I needed your help at all."

"Yeah, cause you were doing an amazing job." He looked down at the tin of Poffins. He should get back to Rook. He shouldn't have even stopped to help this little mutt. "I'm Knight."

"Joker," the Mightyena said. She looked down and sniffed out her pipe, and finding it, pulled her lips back to expose her fangs. Dipping her head, she gathered the pipe in her teeth closed her mouth again.

"Hungry?" Knight asked for reasons he did not understand.

Joker looked over her shoulder at her thin build. "So?"

Knight walked over to the tin he had set down before the fight, and with a claw, opened the wrapping. Then he opened the tin, showing the colorful treats inside. There were more than enough for Princess and Rook once he finally got back. He could indulge himself, just this once, and popped a green one in his mouth. Mmm, watermelon. Maybe not 'Tropical Mix', but certainly good. Joker laid down, facing him, watching his every movement. The tin was between them. Knight sat down and selected a nice pink one out and offered it to Joker. Joker held the pipe in her teeth to the side. Her lips leaned forward and slurped the Poffin up carefully, then gathered it into her mouth. Though she gave a happy yip and her tail wagged as a show of how much she enjoyed it, her red eyes stayed focused on the Marowak. Knight rolled his eyes.

Again, after a moment, she looked away and offered a soft "Thank you."

"You smell bad," Knight said, nose wrinkling.

Joker sniffed her belly by bending her head back, and then shrugged. "Baths are for losers."

"Is your pack near?"

Joker looked away. "I don't exactly have a pack."

"Trainer?"

"...No."

"Anyone who might keep an eye on your stinky hide till your leg heals?"

Joker's growl was the only answer he would receive.

"Then how do you suggest paying me back for saving your ass?" Knight said in turn.

Joker, confused, looked to him. "I...I don't know."

"Then on your feet, mutt," Knight said, standing and gathering the Poffin tin into his arms. "You're coming with me. As far as I'm concerned, you owe me for saving your pelt. And till you can work it off, you're not going anywhere. Let's go."

Joker, taken aback, nodded dumbly and followed Knight as he turned and continued on his way towards the cave where Rook and Princess were still.

_So fucking soft,_ he mused silently.


End file.
